The bias I hold towards stainless steel dive watches created in the Rolex vein needs to be stated at the onset of this review. The years of Rolex marketing efforts have left a significant impact on my watch buying mind and directs my purchasing decisions to this day.
However, as Rolex watches have become more difficult to find, the allure of Rolex on my unconscious is waning. I understand that Rolex, and all other watch companies that are making in demand watches, do not like that people cannot buy their products at retail either; businesses can’t function if they continually alienate their customers, but the effect of the product shortage is still relevant. In fact, when it comes time for me to consider buying a new watch, I do not even consider Rolex anymore as I know I can’t buy one at a dealer, and I refuse to pay more than retail on the secondary market.
Interestingly enough (or frustratingly enough), the Rolex Effect is not something I can get rid of when looking at watches. It played a large part in the decision I made when acquiring the second watch in my Summer Side-By-Side series: the Tudor Heritage Black Bay 41mm.
Tudor, for those who are not aware of their story, is the sister-brand of Rolex. The brand was founded by Hans Wilsdorf in order to supply a more affordable watch that still had the essential design and function DNA that was Rolex was famous for. The Black Bay series is one such example of this creativity. It consists of many models that are all inspired by Rolex’s most famous dive and chronograph watches, while venturing out into design and performance territory Rolex will not go.
This Black Bay Heritage can best be described as an amalgamation of some of the best known and influential design elements of the Rolex Submariner throughout its storied history. It has the big crown and is lacking crown guards; it has no date function; the hands, markers, and logo are all gilt, like many early Rolex Submariners.
The bracelet is riveted, just like early Submariners, and it has a steel bezel. On appearances alone it seems to be a really banging tribute to the Submariner but also has design and performance elements which differ greatly with the Submariner and make the Black Bay its own watch.
First, the size; at 41mm wide and 14.8mm thick, it is noticeable departure to the Submariners 40mm width and 12.7mm thickness. Despite this increase in size, it wears well and is very comfortable on my 7.28 inch wrist.
This is by far the most comfortable large dive watches I have ever worn. It sits very well on my wrist on the supplied bracelet, does not feel too bulky or heavy, and there are times I forget that I have it on. I understand wearability will be a point of contention for some, and I will not argue that it is a big watch, but it is not outlandishly large, and feels right at home on my wrist.
The design of the case is something special, not from the standpoint of extreme aesthetic quality, but from the standpoint of wearability and how the watch functions when being worn. It sits well, does not flop around when the bracelet or strap is properly sized, and does not stick to my wrist when I sweat, unlike many sapphire case backed watches.
The bracelet, as mentioned before, is riveted like many of the Oyster bracelets from the past. It is 22mm at the lugs and tapers comfortably down to the buckle. The clasp on this bracelet is excellent; it is secure and requires a good amount of force to open.
I have zero concerns that it will stay fastened while I am wearing it, though, I wish the clasp had micro-adjustments for the bracelet size. Fortunately, I have found the bracelet to fit perfectly without this feature and do not have not have any complaints so far.
The bracelet does not pull the hair on my wrist, does not get uncomfortable as I wear the watch throughout the day, and feels solid and reliable. Overall, it is a clear step up over the bracelet that came with the Grand Seiko.
The dial is easy to read and I do not mind the gilt markers, hands, and other features. At first I imagined that the gilt would make the watch look a little out of place in the woods, but seeing as how I have never once thought this while wearing it, it appears this is not the case. In fact, I had to remind myself to include this thought with the review as I haven’t thought about it once since I started to wear it.
The lume on the snowflake hands is great; it shines through the night and is easy to read at five o’clock int he morning. It is noticeably brighter than many other watches I have owned, and it looks really great in low light. The lume is definitely more pronounced than what comes on the Grand Seiko, as the image below shows.
I enjoy using the crown and I wish more watches came with larger crowns. It is easy to use and I like looking at it. The red anodized aluminum insert at the base of the crown is also a nice touch. That being said, I have only set the watch once since receiving it exactly one month ago since I wanted to see how accurately it kept time, so my experience with the crown hasn’t been extensive.
Tudors shift to in house movements seemed to cause some heartburn with the collectors community, but I really like how the movement performs. I know that it made the watch thicker, but this seems to be a moot point as it is very comfortable to wear regardless. I applaud Tudor for its movement regulation, at least on this particular watch, which is off by only two seconds after a month of use.
The Black Bay works very well in the wild and I have no reservations when it comes to wearing it hard. I have scraped and slammed it on rocks, door frames, car doors, and a hammer to name a few things. It has been hit with flying rock debris, slid down a large mine tailing, been dropped onto gravel, immersed in rivers and streams, and worn daily while doing construction work for a friend. The watch shows negligible signs of wear other than a few scratches on the clasp, and none of this use has effected its time keeping.
While I am hard pressed to name any outright design elements that I wished were either different or absent, I do wish that Tudor would make this watch without the rivet style bracelet in addition to adding a micro-adjustment on the clasp.
Secondly, I would not say no if Tudor reduced the thickness of the case by a millimeter or more. Yes it wears well, but a thin watch, all other things considered, is still a great thing to wear.
In closing, if I had to make the decision between this watch and the Grand Seiko, I would take the Tudor all day without a single reservation. I will see if this changes as the summer goes on, but at this point it sure doesn’t seem like it will.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
Specifications:
Diamater: 41mm
Thickness: 14.8mm
Lug Width: 22mm
Water Resistance: 200 meters/660 feet
Retail Price: $3,800.00 USD
In the course of writing this post I was not compensated in any way, financially or otherwise, by Tudor.
EscapementSV 